Cornerstone Funeral Home FUNERAL HOME OWNER GUILTY OF RIP OFFS FROM CONSUMERS Lethbridge, Alberta

Cornerstone Funeral Home in Lethbridge Alberta Canada is a locally owned and operated funeral home. It is owned by Ralph and Faith Zentner. In the past both these owners have been involved in misconduct related to the operation of their funeral home.

However in late 2011 their funeral home came to the attention of the police and the Alberta Funeral Board. After the in depth investigation resulting from complaints both the Zentners were charged with theft and fraud. These charges were reported widespread in the Canadian media. The Calgary Sun newspaper still has the articles on their website.

In April of 2012 Mr. Ralph Zentner as co-owner of the Cornerstone Funeral Home pleaded guilty in Alberta provincial Criminal Court to a charge of fraud. As a result of that guilty plea the charges against his wife and the additional charges against him were withdrawn. The allegations to which he pleaded guilty to resulted in Zentner failing to change the liners in caskets that he had rented out, selling higher end caskets and delivering less expensive caskets and finally to defrauding the Government of Alberta for failing to dispose of cremated ashes for which he was paid to do by taxpayers money and claiming that he had done so.

Subsequently, as this was NOT Zentners' first misconduct in relation to his funeral home the Alberta Funeral Board revoked his funeral directors and embalming licences for a period of at least 2 years. In 2014 Mr. Zentner may re-apply to the Board for consideration in granting him  new licenses if he wishes to again become involved in directing funerals. His website still lists him as Manager of the funeral home when in fact he is prohibited from doing so and the Board may take a dim view of his continued funeral listing activity. His bio indicates that he was licensed in 1985 at the top of his class leaving one to assume he is still currently licensed when in fact he is not.
He blamed in open Court the conduct on employee errors. the thrust of the allegations he pleaded guilty to would only benefit an owner and not an employee. The public should be very careful and concerned should they decide to use this funeral home in their time of need. The last thing a family should have to worry about is being ripped off. The details of his license revocation can be seen on the ALBERTA FUNERAL BOARD under breaking news at this time. There are other honest and ethical funeral homes in Lethbridge that the public can rely on. Cornerstone is NOT one of them.